Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. HEPFNER 85 W. KELLY.

GAR COUPLING. No. 277,723. Patented May 15,1883.

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MM Jazww mr}wzzmmzazz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HEFFNER, OF HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, AND WILLIAM KELLY, OF LIB-- ERTY TOWNSHIP, BEDFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPEQIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 277,723, dated May 15, 1883..

Application filed March 24, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN HEFFNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopewell township, in the county of Bedford and State of Pennsylvania, and WILLIAM KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty township, in the county of Bedford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar- Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to reduce the couplings for cars to a very simple form and to provide a coupling device which can be employed in coupling cars of different heights, and also capable of coupling by the usual link. To such end we provide a coupling-bar with a laterally-projecting head at each end and a vertically-extended handle located intermediate. Such heads and the draw-heads to receive the head of said link are of novel con struction, the whole construction being such that the coupling-bar can be simply dropped into the draw-heads, thereby coupling the cars in a simple and efl'eotive manner and obviating all danger of injury to the person handling the coupling device.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken through two drawheads coupled together in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2, a detached perspective view of the coupling-bar; Fig. 3, a section taken on a horizontal plane through one of the drawheads; Fig. 4, a front view of one of the drawheads, and Fig. 5 a top or plan view of the same. 1

The draw-head A is formed with a recess or chamber, B. which is open at the top, and at the front of the chamber the side Walls of the draw-head are each provided with a vertical laterally-projecting flange, A, which stand inward in such relation to each other as to create a vertical passage or channel, 0. The adjacent edges of the flanges are beveled, and each flange is grooved or notched intermediate its upper and lower ends to form a chamber for the reception of an ordinary open link.

The coupling-bar D consists of a single straight rod having at each end a laterallyprojecting head, E, which are adaptedto enter the openings formed through the tops of the draw-heads, and thus engage the lateral flanges A, the body of the bar entering the vertical channel or passage 0. The couplingbar is provided with a vertically-projecting handle, F, intermediate its two heads, by means of Which the bar can be conveniently manipulated for coupling or uncoupling.

In coupling two opposing draw-heads the bar will be simply dropped into the two drawheads through the top openings into the chamber B, and its body portion adjacent to its heads being received in the vertical channel in such manner that the lateral extension of the heads engage the side flanges, C. To nncouple, it will simply be necessary to grasp the handle and raise the bar.

If it is desired to couple by means of an ordinary open link, such can be caused to enter the chambers B through the grooves or notches forming the channels G in the flanges A, and to lock the link in place each draw-head is provided with an ordinary coupling-pin, D, extending, diagonally through the drawhead. The chambers B are of such extent that the coupling-bar D can be'stored therein for safe keeping or in case it is not desired to couple cars coming together. To permit the ordinary coupling-pin, D, to be placed in position, each draw-head is provided with the perforations H H, the former being in the upper portion of one side wall, and the other being in the lower portion of the other side wall.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is- The combination, with the chambered draw; heads having the flanges A, provided with channels G, andarranged to form the vertical channel 0, of the coupling-bar -D, provided with a laterally-extended head at each end and a handle between the heads, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

M. V. ZETH, G. W. ASHGUM. 

